15 June 2010

By Warrant Officer Class One PJ Harimate, Master Driver Land Component

The awareness, knowledge and skill of Defence motorcycle riders was honed at a motorcycle road safety skills event at Trentham Camp recently.

Headquarters Joint Forces NZ (HQ JFNZ) in conjunction with Headquarters Trentham Regional Support Battalion (HQ TRSB), NZ Police, NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) conducted the event which was sponsored by the Land Component Commander Brigadier Dave Gawn.

It was open to all motorcycle riders in the Defence Force (civilian and military) in the Trentham and wider Wellington areas and their immediate family members.

The event was run by NZ Police motorcyclist instructors under the guidance of National Police Motorcycle Trainer, Royal NZ Police College, Sergeant Greg Thomas.

The riders were organised into groups and participated in a round robin of slow manoeuvre activities consisting of the following: Kerb – pull out to the left or right, slow cone weave, slow off set cone weave, boxed figure of eight and the “Randomizer”—a series of cones in a boxed formation where riders negotiated a route weaving around the cones and had to use a different exit point each time.

During the week before the event the weather had been particularly bad and the weather forecast for the Saturday was much the same. However, it did clear slightly at the start of the event, but the road surface was still wet. This made it even more difficult for riders but generally everyone did very well even when the weather deteriorated later on. The type of bikes that riders rode ranged from big cruisers to performance road bikes, and a scooter. The experience of the riders ranged from learner to seasoned riders.

Observers from the following organisations also attended to foster closer co-operation with other government departments and the local community: Upper Hutt City Council Road Safety Co-ordinator, Joanne Kinnaird, Roadsafe Limited Motorcycle Riding Techniques, Andrew Templeton; Driving Standards Manager Jim Furneaux, and Senior Programme Advisor (Education) Roy Hitchcock, both from NZTA, and Inspector Peter Baird, Road Policing Manager, Wellington.

ACC material was handed out to riders at the end of the event, including the Ride Forever DVD, Riding in Groups DVD and a gear guide. They were also given the motorcyclists’ guide for the Rimutaka Hill and the Wairarapa, produced by Wairarapa Road Safety Council.

All riders completed a multiple choice theory quiz relating to motorcycle riding and legislation. The aim was to get the riders thinking about issues, in particular new rules that may have come in since they sat their licence theory test. All forms were entered into a prize draw and the three winners, Mr Jack Chan, J9, HQ JFNZ, Mr Geoff Sloper, CIS Branch, Porirua and Major Dean Rennie, Army GS, Trentham each won a $30 voucher.

A special thanks to Mike McLeod (Mac) at Maidstone Yamaha Motorcycles, Upper Hutt for sponsoring the vouchers.

Feedback on the event was positive. Colonel Phil Collett whose son Matthew attended said, “Many thanks for organising this activity. Mathew enjoyed it, and feels that he has improved his bike riding skills. I think it was a great initiative, and am thankful for any training that will improve his chances of survival on his bike.”

Major Malcolm Ayers, Director Equipment Procurement, Army Logistics, also agreed it was a great learning experience. “Thanks for your efforts. It’s the same story when attending revision training — it’s not until after the event that you realise what you either had forgotten or didn’t know in the first place.”

I would like to thank BRIG Gawn, HQ TRSB, Greg Thomas and his team, Upper Hutt City Council, NZ Police, NZTA, ACC and Road Safe Limited. Many thanks to my helpers WO1 Rik Moore, Staff Sergeant Noel Kahui and Corporal Bryon Berry in ensuring this event ran smoothly.

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